Affordable planted aquarium substrate?

[Jamie williams]

As above i need to set up a few tanks and im after reasonably price substrates? Any advice where
And what to get would be appreciated thanks

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Matt Havens]

Hi Jamie,

How do you plan to have the tanks setup. Heavy planting or no planting and what sort of plants do you wish to grow?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Jamie williams]

Hi Jamie,

How do you plan to have the tanks setup. Heavy planting or no planting and what sort of plants do you wish to grow?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Sorry there quite a few tanks i plan to use it in . Its mostly low tech crypts i plan on keeping and i want them all heavily planted

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Zeus.]

Getting a decent AS (Aqua-soil) will make it much easier esp with your fertilising regime for high/ or low tech approach

 

[zozo]

Akadama is cheap, sort of clay, completely inert to begin with.. Very high CEC, anything with a good CEC is ok to use.. In my experience crypts love it.. But you're stuck on one color.. 🙂
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/akadama-a-cheap-substrate.741/

Crypts are actualy not that fussy i have them also growing low tech on Fuji sand, which is a crushed black lavarock.. It pretty hard and porous and also completely inert.. According to studies lava soils are not that high in CEC compaired to clay based substrates. But that CEC number doesn't say much if plants will grow on it or not, obviously. Hence people like to live near vulcanos cultivating lava based soils for ages. 🙂 Anyway i added some peat and clay to the mix where i planned the plants topped it with a black silica gravel and the crypts are about the best growing plants in this tank. I love it and it comes pretty cheap.

Both above substrates can be found in the Bonsai trade..

I've never tried myself yet, but crypts like clay and rather a bit acidic soils, IMHO the soil mentioned in bellow links is crypt heaven..

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-soil-substrate-or-dirted-planted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/darrells-dw1305s-soil-thread.11579/

 

[rebel]

Sand with root tabs I reckon. Esp if you just want some crypts.

 

[roadmaster]

Dirt capped with sand or fine gravel is fairly inexpensive, but not suited in my view for those that move plant's about frequently.
If cost were of no concern,then the ADA Aquasoil's would be my choice.